Flexible foot foundation



3 Sheets-Sheet l Nurice K.Anderson Gttornega M. K. ANDERSON FLEXIBLE FOOT FOUNDATION June 27, 1944.

Filed Nov. 14, 1940 June 27, 1944. M. K. ANDERSON FLEXIBLE FOOT FOUNDTION Filed Nov. 14, 1940 5 Sheets-Shea?I 2 Snnentor Gttornegs ."hmel 27, 1944.

M. K. ANDERSON FLEXIBLE FOOT FOUNDATION Filed Nov. 14. 1'940 5 Sheets-sheet 3 Patented June 27, 1944 UNITED STAT E S PATE NT OF FICE 2,352,179 FLEXIBLE FOOT FOUNDATION) Maurice K. Anderson, Seattle, Wash. Application November 14, 1940,Serial No. 365,697

(o1. srs-71) Y 19 Claims.

My present invention is an improvement on the inventions of my two patents No. 2,235,821, issued Marchv 25, 1941, for a Sole conformer for shoes, and No. 2,288,665, issued July 7, 1942', for a Foot foundation. y

As has been explained in those applications, While many arch supports have been proposed, no foundation device for the correct support of the sole of a wearersvfoot has been available which couldk be fashioned to vprecisely the individual warped shape. required by establishing the proper length of spacer means over the entire critical area. In my previous foot foundations disclosed inthe above mentioned patents a multitude of individually adjustable supporting members or screws were provided, by 4regulation of which the conformation of a footvsole-contacting plate could be alteredy to suit the particular `characteristics of theffoot withwhich it was to be used. This same general principle has been employed in the-devices disclosed herein also, but the general structure of the foot foundation has been improved.

In my first patent the adjustable spacer mem-- bers were mountedV in a rigid metal plate. Iv found that this construction was not objectionable where the areav of the. foot over which the plate extended was small and located principally also .employs a multitude .of spacer orf contourv controlling members, but instead of these' being mounted in a metal plate, they are receivedv in metal sockets or collars inserted into. a flexible. base plate of leather or plastic material. This base platek may bethe usual .shoe insole, so4 that my improved'foundation may be,A built into the shoe in its initial construction. Even after the l shoe has been constructed a part of the. original beneath the foot arch.- When such a rigid plate was extendedforwardly beneath the ball of the foot and rearwardly beneaththe heel, however, suilicient flexibility. of the shoe and foot support was not afforded, and consequentlyin my secondV patent mentioned the rigid metal foundation plate was made of sections,lpreferably three, hingedly. or otherwise vflexibly interconnected, so that the foundation plate would bend at the most important 1ocations,.particularly just to therear of the ball of .thefootand between the'heel and` the foot arch.y Even such a construction, however, I found tohave disadvantages. Inrorder to give a sufficient range of adjustability the metal plate into which thev spacer or contour regulating members were screwed had to bequite thick. As a result the Weightl of the foot foundation asa whole was` rather great. Further, insteadvof being able to exprogressively with the foot while still supporting the foot arch, this hingedY formcould flex onlyat specified locations, so that the footwasvnotk properly, contiguously, and comfortably supported. inall positions .ofthe foot assumed du'ringfwalking.` It was also rather diiculttorebuild a shoe satisfactorily to receive themetal types -offoot foundations.

My improved foot foundation herein disclosed insole can be cut out and my improved foot foundation can be inserted directly in the cavity thus provided, to become an integral part of the shoe.

As a second type, my foot foundation can be made to be installed in a shoe by shoe repair shops without mutilating` in any way the original construction ofthe shoe, and is especially well adapted for incorporation in a shoe `having a Y relatively thin insole. In this case my deviceis formed as a supplemental insole, which either can completely cover the sole of the shoe or which is formed. of two sections, the forward section in the toe portion of the shoe' merely being a filler, and the portion from about theball of the foot back tothe heel constituting the. base plate proper. Where this. type coversthe. entire. sole of the4 shoe kit may beA permanently secured in place, suitable provision beingmade to prevent lateral and lengthwise movement with-respect tothe shoe, or it may be made removable. Wherev only the rear part of such a supplemental insole forms the base Aplate of my foot foundation, such portion is preferably made removable, but' is fitted to the permanently secured toe portion of the supplemental insole so that their upper surfaces at their abutting edges will be held in smooth continuity.v y

My improved foot foundation may take still a third form, namely, one in which it can be sold directly tothe customer as an insertibleinner sole. In such case nok reconstruction or securing tothe shoe whatever is necessary, the lonly fitting required being possiblyY toA trim the edge'V ofthe base` plate sol thatit.will t snugly Within the shoe about its edges. Such, trimming may be necessary so that a given size foot foundation may be fitted correctly to either .a pointed toe or a. rounded toe shoe, or lso thatr only one, or a few` sizes need be manufactured and stocked. After the desired .adjustment of the foundations contour is made thev baseplate may merely be slipped into the shoe,- as anyinnersole.v Its base. plate may be tapered toward the ends .from .the arch portion if desired, to occupy as littlespace as possible. When adjusted to meet the require` ments of the individual wearer the foundation may be permanently glued in place, but obviously even this operation will not require the services of a shoe repair shop. It will probably be desirable, however, to have a foot specialist iit the foundation so that it will be adjusted to support the foot scientifically correctly, as well as comfortably.

As in the foot foundation disclosed in my Patent No. 2,288,665, I prefer to use individual headed spacer members, usually of the screw type. I have found, however, that fixed convex heads of oval shape, or tiltable heads are satisfactory. In addition the heads of the spacer members may be up or down, and adjustmentV of such members may be made by providing screw driver slots in the heads or in the ends screwed finto the sleeves, whether or not the heads are tiltable. Instead of employing threaded shanks and sleeves the inserted ends may merely snap into place, in which case an assortment of spacer members of different lengths would be provided, from which the appropriate lengths for the various positions would be selected. Also while a large number of sockets for spacer members, dis.- tributed over a wide area, would be provided, such members would be inserted only at the locations necessary to obtain the desired contour.

v If it should be found that when my flexible base plate is used the original shoe construction does not constitute a sufficiently rigid supporting structure, a metal plate may be inserted in the shoe sole to afford the desired stiffness. The typeof upper sole contour plate employedmay alsobe varied. In most cases it will probably be preferred to use a conformable, thin, metal sheet beneath a thin leather piece on which the foot rests. I f the spacer member heads project downward from the foundation base plate, however, such a metal sheet may be unnecessary, and if the sid-e of the foundation plate opposite the spacer members is suiciently smooth, even the leather piece may not be required.

. It will be understood that with my present foot foundation the sole contacting surface may be easily shaped to conform exactly with the foot, yet it will be sufficiently pliable to support the footin all flexed positions assumed during walking. Such a device may be constructed'invarious ways to be installed by the shoe manufacturer, shoe repair shop, or wearer. It either may be initially, or subsequently may become, an integral part of the shoe; it may be removably secured in a nished shoe, or it may be merely slipped into a shoe as an accessory. In any 'case it will be very light, and while affording correct support for the foot in all flexed positions of the shoe, will not make it cumbersome or noticeably increase its weight.

Not only is the base plate of the foot foundation made flexible, but an additional shock absorbing effect may be obtained, if desired, by mounting the spacer members in sockets resiliently secured in the base plate. Additionally, or alternatively, the heads of the spacer members themselves may be provided with a thin resilient covering, such as of rubber. When the foot foundation is installed with the spacer heads projecting downwardly, sucha rubber surface also tends to grip the inner side of the shoe sole to assist in preventing slippage between the inserted type of foot foundation, which is not positively anchored, and the shoe. If such shock absorbing qualities are not desired, but additional grip is wanted, the spacer member heads may be knurled or roughened to dig into the shoe sole.

These various embodiments of my improved foot foundation and details of its construction are illustrated in the drawings, and while certain types of spacer members have been shown in particular modifications, it will be understood that a given type of spacer member is adapted foruse in most or all of the various forms of foundation.

Figure l is a plan View of the built-in form of my foot foundation, showing theshoe upper and parts of the foundation broken away, while Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a different form of built-in foot foundation, showing the upper portion of the shoe and parts of such foundation broken away, and Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section of this form taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the supplemental type of my foot foundation, showing the shoe upper and part of the foundationbroke'n away, Figure 6 is a longitudinal section" through this type taken along line 8--6 of Fgure'5, and Figure 'l is a transverse section through the same form taken along line 1 1 of Figure 5.. Y.

Figure 8 `is a partial planview of a different form of the supplemental type of foot foundation, with the shoe upper and portions of the foundation Ibroken away, and Figure 91s a longitudinal section taken on `line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a partial' plan view of still a different form of supplemental foot foundation, showing thelshoe upper andpartsy of the foot foundation broken' away, while- Figure 11 is a partial longitudinal section taken on line |I'-I I of Figure 10. 'p

Figure 12 is a fragmentary plan View, having parts broken away, ofI a' slightly modified form of supplemental foot' foundation, vbut similar to that shown in Figure 10,' and Figure 13 is a longitudinal section taken on line I3-l3 of Figure 12.

Figurev 14 is a'plan view of an insertible type of foot foundation by itself, while-Figure 15 is a longitudinal section taken along linev l5-I5 of Figure 14, showing such'a foundation inserted in a shoe, parts of which have been broken away, and Figure 16 is a transverse section'taken along lineV I6-I6 of Figure 14.

Figure 17 is a fragmentary plan view of the same type of foot foundation employing la' differenttype of spacer member, and-Figure 18 is a longitudinal section taken on line I8-I 8 of Figure 17. Figure 19 is an enlarged `section showing in detail one of the spacer elements incorporated in the foot foundation of Figures 17 and18.

Figures 20, 21, 22,'-and 23 are fragmentary sectional views showing differenttyp'es of 4spacer units and sockets which may be incorporated in any of various types of my foot foundation.

By a fbuilt-in typel of foot foundation I refer herein to one incorporated in a shoe during its process of manufacture, or which is received ush in a recess made by cutting out a section of the original shoe insole.V I refer tothe type of foot foundation which is secured against lateral or lengthwise movement by means secured upon the shoe sole, but'whichv does not require any cutting out of the original shoe inner sole, as the supplemental type of foot foundation. An finsertifble foot; foundation'is one which may merely be insertedin place'in the shoe after proper adjustment withoutv any of the original shoe sole being cut out, and'which is i notsecured to such sole by anylocling membersr installation of which would require the services of a shoe repair or rebuild shop. In other words, this latter type'can be sold directly tothel customer for insertion in a shoe without any modification of the shoe construction, and may be inserted, perhaps after edge trimming, just as an `ordinary loos inner sole is inserted.

The built-in type of foot foundation'shown in Figures 1 and 2 would be incorporated in the shoe S at the factory. The usual insole of vthe shoe would be omitted, and would be replaced by the foot foundation base plate I, which is flexible over its entire extent, being made of Ystiff leather similar to the usual shoe insole, but of somewhat greater thickness. or of equivalent material. From one surface of this base plate projects a number of spacer members or studs. To hold these', into the base plate may be inserted, prior to its incorporation in the shoe, `a multitude of spacer member or stud sockets, suitably arranged over as large a portion of the base plate as-desired. While the spacer members and sockets may take various forms, as will be described hereafter, one satisfactory form is the screw type I0, which is threaded into a `socket or sleeve II having a flange at its receiving end. This socket is inserted in the base plate I, preferably extending completely through it to afford maximum range of adjustment, and with the sleeve flange recessed or countersunk into the base plate, as shown in Figure 2. The head of each screw stud in this type of foot foundation would projectupward, as shown, because the base plate I as previously stated, serves as the shoe insole, and would be permanently secured to the normal outer sole. The stud heads are preferably of slightly convex or oval shape, as distinguished from hemispherical shape generally designated round heads. Overlying the screw heads to form the foot supporting surface is a thin conformable plate I2, which may be of metal of a sufficient thickness to support the wearers weight without local deformation, yet which will conform, preferably deformably, to the warped surface defined by the upper ends of the screws I0.

In order to finish the inner side of the foot foundation a covering piece of soft leather I3 may be provided, which will extend over the entire area of the sole, although the metal plate I2 need extend only over that portion in which the spacer or contour controlling members are located. 'I'he metal sheet I2 and leather cover I3 are preferably secured together, such as by spaced rivets I4, and this composite cover may be secured to the base plate I by a forward screw I5 and a rear screw I5. The screw I5 may be tightly screwed into place to clamp the metal plate I2, as shown in Figure 2, its head being countersunk into the leather piece I3. The screw I6, on the other hand, will not be screwed down tightly; so that a sliding action will be afforded between its shank and a slot I1 formed in the metal plate I2. As the shoe sole and foundation base plate flex during walking, the metal and leather cover, thus slidably connected at Athe rear, may slip to a slight extent over the base plate of the foundation. The leather cover piece I3 is cut out to accommodate .such sliding of the screw head, as shown. y n y f A typical arrangement of screws IE) in sockets II is shown in Figure 1, where it is desired primarily to support the arch. The screws illustrated have fixed, slightly rounded` heads .provided with cross grooves to receivea screwdriver for adjusting the individual screwsup or down.

Screws having tilting heads, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 for example, may be used instead.' When it is desired to establish or alter the conformation of the fo'ot supportingA surface las defined by these screw heads, screws I5 and IB are removed, and then the cover unit, composedof the .plate I2 and leather cover piece I3, may be slipped out of the shoe while the screws are adjusted individually. The cover unitisthen put back into place, and the shoe is tried on. 'This procedure is re'- peated until the desired warped contour is established, and then the-screws I5 and I6 are replaced to secure the composite cover in place. It will be noted that screw sockets are provided from the back of the heel to-a point slightly forward of the ball. of the foot, so that the proper sole-conforming shape maybe established over'this entire area by' inserting screws where necessary and relatively adjustingfthem'to the proper height.

As previously pointed out, thescrew sleeves or sockets II have anges on theirupper ends so thatv the weight of the wearer willA bedistributed through them tothebaseplate I, instead of the force tending to push the sleeve out ofthe base plate, as would -bel the case if an unflanged sleeve were used. -On the other hand, the purpose of screws I5 and IIv is to hold thecover unit down at its ends, insteadcf supporting it, vand consequently the sockets for thesescrews are inverted, so that the flanges lie beneath the base plate I, as shown in'Figure 2.

When the archportion of the wearers footsupports its properweighton the raised portion of the foot foundation it may be that, at least when a wearer first begins to 'use it,1an unusually great weight is carried by` the shoe arch. Consequently it may be necessary/to strengthen thisportion of the shoe by recessing intofthe upper surface of the outer sole, during manufacture of the shoe, a metal plate I8. The extent of `this plate forward and rearward is, of course, a matter of choice, but it should not extend ordinarily forward of the ball of the foot or appreciably behind the front of the heel, since these are the regionsr of principal flexure. In most cases this plate need not make the shoe absolutely rigid, but it is intended to act as a strengthening and stiffening element. It may be of more or less flexible material according to the amount of stiffness desired and the rigidity and ruggedness of the rest of the shoe. Such an insert, however, eliminates the necessity of an unusually heavy sole being required for effective use of my foot foundation of the built-in type.

The type of foot foundation shownin. Figures 3 and 4 is similar to that just described, except that instead of the spacer member sockets being inserted in the shoe insole -before it is incorporated in the shoe, a portion of the regular insole 2 is cut out, leaving a marginal portion 2i! vat the rear of the shoe, and the entiretoe portion 2I of the insole in place. This .cut-out portion, as shown in Figure 4, is the full thickness of the insole, butsuificient width is left about its margins so that the securing of the shoe upper to the `sole will not be disturbed; The piece of leather 2 thus cut out, or one of similar size and shape, is apertured for receptionof spacer member. sockets 22, which may be the same as the sockets-II shown in Figure y1. Again the area over which these sockets are distributed is largely a matter of choice, and spacing screws 23 are insertedin only those sockets required to afford the proper shape of sole supportingsurface in each 'individual case. If'. it is known vbefore a portion of the regular insoleis removed just what distribution of spacer members will be required in a particular instance, -it mayenot be necessary to cut out vas large a portionof vthe insole as indicated in Figure3'. The socket-carrying insert may be removably fittedt in place, or'it may be secured kpermanently in thisl type of con-A struction. a .f

The screws 23, as shown, arel different from the screws I in that theirheads are tiltable. with respect to their shanks, as indicated in Figure 4. A slightly upset stem of reduced diameterextending through a central aperture in eachnhead prevents disconnection of the head from the shank, but provides a rounded shoulder upon which -the heads rest and can tilt. The 'tops'of such stems, however, are slightlycountersunk below the heads in every tilted position, so that the pressure of the foot is carried by the tilting heads.- These contact the cover plate contiguously over their whole area, instead of over a portion only'as-do fixed head screws such as shown in Figure 2. Moreover, in expanding the screwshank to hold the head in place a deep cross groove can be formed,'which not only will serve to flare the end of the stem, but will provide aisocket into which a rotating toolfmay be inserted for adjusting the screws. Such a socket may be similar to that of -the Phillips screw, for example, or it may be of anyshape which will afford sufficient turninggrip within a small area. While this type of screw is illustrated as being used in this embodimentof my invention, it will be understood that the same type as shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be used instead, or this type may be used in the form' of foundation shown in Figures 1 and 2. In Aeither case the -it of the threads is 'quite snug, so that after the screw has been turned to the proper position it will not be rotated involuntarily during use.

While with thetilting head type' of screw it is not as necessary touse'a conformable thin metal cover plate, such a plate, indicated at 24, would ordinarily be used. This plate may be imperforate or, as indicated, it may contain a large number of small, closely spaced holes, which will tend to lighten it somewhat, and also provide ventilation. A similarly perforated plate could be used in the form of my foundation shown in Figures 1 and 2, if desired. This plate, as before, is covered with a thin flexible piece of leather 25 for finishing purposes. The leather sheet and metal plate are also likewise held together by rivets 26, but in this case, instead of the cover unit being removed from theshoe for adjustment purposes, the-holding screw is replaced by a hinge. The rivetsZS extend through the'upp'er leaf of hinge 21, whileits lower leaf is-anchored to the inserted base plate 2, so that the cover may merely be tipped up' about `its'fro'nt end as an axis for access to the screws'23q The broken line position of Figure 4 illustrates the coverl in a tilted position. f The supplemental type-offoundationshown in Figure covers the entire area ofA the sole, as does the form of built-in foundation shown'in Figure l, except for small locking pieces which arelxed to the sole structure of the sole This type of my device is more appropriate where an unusually thin insole is usedin'the shoe'cons'tructi'on. Such locking pieces may include two upward projections 30, mountedV on the insole 'one at Y:each side of its heelfportion, Which'flt` complemental notches provided in the superposed base plate=3 of the foundation. 4Atthe forwardportionvof the shoe are additional locking projections 3l vsecured to the shoe insole, which likewise engage notches of complemental shape provided in the vforward portio'nof the base plate 3. Such projections will normally be of the same height as the thickness of the base plate. By this means the base plate may be securely anchored in the shoeY againstforward, rearward, or lateral displacement while still being removable for adjustment.

The spacer member sockets 32 are of the same type'previously described except that thevillustration shows a greater number spread over a larger area than even in the form of Figure l. In particular it will be noted, in Figure 7, that screws 33. are in place even slightly forward of the ball of the foot, to support the transverse forward arch, while as shown in Figure 6 a slight cup is .provided into which the heel of the foot seats. Itwill be seen, therefore, that extremely wide variations in the contour of the foot supporting surface may be made to suit the requirements of4 the individual wearer.

As before, a pliant, conformable metal plate 34 overlies the screw heads, and is secured by rivets 35 to a leather finishing sheet 35. This cover unitisisecured to the base plate 3 by countersunk screws 31 and 38, respectively. The screw 38 is sufficiently loose that the portion of plate 34 engaged by it may slide with respect to the base plate 3 to some extent, as described in connection with the form shown in Figure l.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate generally the same type of supplemental foot foundation as in Figures 5, 6, and 7, except that the sleeves 32 are disposed in anv area which does not extend quite as far forward. With the coverage shown in Figure 5 it is necessary to use locking pieces at the edges of the base plate 3 to hold it in place, but if a less extensive distribution of spacer member sockets, such as shown in Figure 8, is considered to be sufficient, a central rib 39 may be secured upon the sole of the shoe for projection into a complementally shaped aperture in base plate 3. When this type of interlock is employed the rear abutments 30 are unnecessary, sincefthe `locking piece 39 not only resists forward, backward, and sidewise bodily movement, but also prevents rotation of the base plate with respecteto theA shoe. This single locking member, therefore, will replace the two members 30 as well as the two members 3l shown in Figures 5, 6, Vand '7.

If in the supplemental type the area over which the spacer members are to be distributed need not be even as large as shown in Figures 8 and 9, a toe piece equal in thickness to that of the base plate 4 may be permanently secured in the shoe, as indicated at 40 in Figures 10 to 13, inclusive. The rear edge of the fixed toe piece and the forward end of the base plate 4 are shaped complementally so that they Will engage each other contiguously. Moreover, the fit of the abutting ends prevents lateral relative movement of the twoparts, and the front end of the base plate is recessed under, and thus is held down by, the rear edge of the-toe piece. The shape of this -joint in'plan, shown in Figures l0 and 11, is generally Wedge-shaped, which assists in holding the base plate from turning. To keep the front end of the base plate from rising, the rea-r edge of the fixed toe piece is under beveled while the front edge of the base plate is formed with a complemental standing, bevel, lwhich intert-to form the joint 4I. .-Rearward movement of the base plate is prevented-by'contact of its rearward end with the heel of theshoe. If a positive anchoring engagement -is desired, cleats or projections such as 30 in the form of Figure-5 may also be provided in the devices of Figures to 13.

Inall the forms thus fardescribed the spacer members have projected upward from the base plate, such plate resting in contiguous engagement with the shoe'sole.v Such base plate, being of leather, plastic composition or similar flexible material, bends with the shoe and foot during walking., but such bending is no more than that required of the shoe sole itself. In the form of my -foot foundation shown in Figures 10 and 11, the heads of the screws k44 project downward, instead of upward-as previously described. With the screws thus projecting downward the base plate 4| instead of conforming to the shape of the shoe sole will itself assume the conformation of the foot sole, as determined by the individual adjustment of the spacer screws. While the base plate must still'be ythick enough to receive screw Shanks of considerable length in order to provide sufficient adjustment, the leather or plastic material of which it is-made must be quite flexible or deformable in order to be shaped locally to the foot and tobe supported by all the spacer members; A sheet -metal contour plate-is therefore notnearly'asnecessary as where the screws project upward asin the formspreviously described.

Naturally Athe `flangesof lthe sockets 43 in this type will be beneath the .base plate to resist the upward thrust ofthe screws, instead of being countersunk into its upper surface. While screws ofthe same general type as shown in Figures 5 and 6 may` beemployed, a single Lcross groove only in the screwr head may be used. The base plate 4 would, of course, be removable from the shoe so that adjustment of the amount of screw projection could be made by ayscrew driver or other suitable tool inserted in such grooves. When the screw heads project downward an `additional engagement tending to prevent rearward movement of the base plate 4 away from the fixed piece 40 is provided, forthe heads will exert considerable frictional resistance to such movement by their engagement with the insole of the shoe. Moreover such frictional force may be increased by employing a screw such as shown in Figure 22 having a composite head, the lower portion 5 of which is of rubber orv equivalentfriction material. Another way in which the friction maybe increased is by knurling or otherwise roughening the surface of the head, as at 50 in Figure 23, so that the points thus formed will embed themselves in the shoe insole. The'grip of the screw heads thus afforded also prevents involuntary rotation of the screws which would alter the desired warped contour of the base plate corresponding to the originally adjusted positions of the screws.

As before, a composite covering unit may be provided, including a thin metal sheet over which is placed a kpiece of soft leather, but, `as stated, is not necessary, and even the soft leather piece 42 may be eliminated without undue discomfort. If this leather sheet covers the entire area of the base plate 4 and toe piece 40, as is preferred, no fastening need be provided for it. Particularly can the metal sheet, and perhaps even the cover piece of leather, be omitted, if the screw sockets, instead of having through apertures, are of the type shown at 43, in which the upper end of each is closed by a wall which lies flush with the surrounding portion ofthe base plate surface. With this construction the screws 44 may have slightly shorter Shanks, or,- if they are of the same length asl used with sockets .which extend completely through the base plate, a somewhat thicker base plate `will 4be required, and the sockets will be correspondingly longer, in order to afford as great a range of adjustment.

In Figures 12 and 13 the front end of the base plate 4 and the xed toe piece 4U are interconnected by a rabbet joint 45, tapering in width from the center of the shoe toward each side, the overlapping part of the rabbet being provided on the toe section 40 and the front end of the base plate having an underlapping feather. As in the form of Figures 10 and 11 described above, rearward movement of the base plate is here prevented by engagement of its rearward end with the heel of the shoe and by the frictional engagement of the screw heads with the shoe insole. Lateral movement of the front end of the base plate is `prevented by the curved formation of the rabbet ljoint 45, and its taper in plan tends to prevent swinging of `the base. plate, for such pivotal movement would necessitate `also its lengthwise shifting. Arcuate movement of the joint 45 would shift a wide portion of the base plate feather into engagement with a narrow portion ofthe toe piece recess, so that the upper edges of the joint instead of being in abutment would be pushed apart, necessitatingsuoh bodily longitudinal movement of the base plate 4, which is prevented by contact with the shoe, as stated. aAngular, as well as lateral, shifting is thus pref vented.

While in this form also the screw heads are shown projecting downward, the bores of Sockets 4B. extend .clear through thebase plate 4. The heads of screws 4l, as shownin Figure 13, are universally tiltable, as are the heads of the screws 23 shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this case, however, in order to enable adjustment ofthe amount of screw projection from above without removal of the base plate4 from the shoe, the inserted ends ofthe screw shanks areslotted to receive a screw driver, as shown in Figure 12. As in the case where screws having Xed heads are used, the tiltable heads ofv these screws may be covered with rubber` in the manner shown in Figure 22,I or may be knurled, as` in Figure 23,v in order to improve the grip of such heads upon the Shoe insole. Because, when this type of socket is employed, the upper surface of the `base plate would be perforated,- I prefer to provide a sheet of thin deformable metal 48 beneath the leather cover piece 42, as has been described in previous modifications. This metal sheet should be held in place by a screw 49, countersunk in the leather sheet 42. y

Thelast major type of foot foundation embodying my invention, and which I have designated as the insertiblef type, is shown in Figures le to 18, one modification being illustrated in Figures 14, 15 and 16, and another in Figures 17v and 18. When this type of footfoundation is employed no part of the original shoe construction needV be cut out, and no holding members need be attached to the shoe sole. vAll that is necessary is that the base plate 6 be trimmed in contour so that it will t snugly within the shoe S, as shown'in Figure 15, the ends and side edges preferably being beveled to engage contiguously the shoe upper in the manner indicated. The projection of the individual screws 6l! from their sockets 6i may then be adjusted as previously described to provide the proper shape for `the foundation.

rhis particular form is best adapted for use in less severe cases of foot ailment, wherel no special shoe construction is necessary, and the contour Acan ordinarily be reasonably well established by the user himself,although greater benefits can usually b e obtained if fitted by an expert. The screw sockets 6l may be provided only over thel arch portion of the foot foundation, as in Figures 1'7 and 18, but preferably are also located around the margin of the heel as shown in Figure 14. Screws would be inserted only in those sockets where analteration in effective thickness of the foundation is required, as described in vconnection with the previous types, to shape the upper surface of the foundation to the desired foot conformation.

` To make this type of foundation better adapted forinsertionin ashoe, so that the least possible increase vin sole thickness is produced, the

heel andvtoe sections of the base plate, desig- Y nated 62 and 63, respectively, may be tapered from the central .archportion toa lesser thickness. VThe front end of the base plate, forexample, may be either of thinner, uniform thickness as shown` in Figure 15, may be tapered progressively as in Figure 18,.or may even feather out short ofthe toe of the shoe. The greater thickness is; required in the central portion to receive the sockets 6 I, which may be of closed end type and be fitted with downwardly projecting screws such aspreviously described in connection with Figures 10 and 11. As mentioned'in such description, where, as shown in Figure 15, the spacer members project downward, even a leather cover piece need not be used because the closed socket ends lie flush with the upper surface of the base plate, as shown. Again the base plate, while thick, since it acts as the foot sole conforming member, must be made of leather or equivalent material which is quite pliable. Additional local flexibility may be afforded, as in the center of the heel portion 62, for example, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, by splitting the base plate part way through from the bottom to lallow greater expansion of its under surface, and hence greater cupping of its upper surface to receivethe heel, Whenthe margin is raised by the encircling spacer members.

It will be evident that this is the simplest type of foot foundation, composed of only the base plate, inserted sockets, having closed ends, spacer members, such as screws, fitted into such sockets as may lbe necessary, and perhap a thin leather covering sheet. No modification of the original shoe construction is required, and the foundation may either be used in the same manner as an insertible inner sole or, after the spacer members are properly adjusted, it may be permanently glued in place, as may an` inner sole, to form thereafter an integral part of the shoe.

The spacer members of Figures 17 and 18, instead of being of the screw type, have their inserted shank ends and their cooperating sockets 64 and 65, respectively, formed as glove-fastener snaps. Their construction is shown on an enlargedscale in Figure 19. The heads 66 of these spacer members are preferably of the tilt type, as are ythe heads of the screws shown in Figures 3 and 4, but, if desired, the heads of such snap members may be of the oval, fixed type.

Where these Vsnap spacer members are employed their effective lengths cannot be adjusted as can that of the screws, but they will be available in a variety of lengths, as shown in Figure 18, so that those of appropriate lengths may be selected and snapped into sockets at the locations required to form the proper sole-conforming contour. The heads-of suchspacer members' may be disposed downward, as are the screw heads of Figure 15, in which case no cover would be required. If the heads project upward, however, a cover unit including a thin iiexible metal plate 61, over which is placed a soft leather sheet 68, similar to those previously described, would be provided. This may be secured in place by rear and front countersunk snaps 69, which snap into appropriate shallow sockets 65 located in the thinner portions of the base plate 62 and 63, respectively. Y

The rubber face 5 on the screw head illustrated in Figure 22 not only provides a better grip upon the inner sole, as explained, but also affords a certain shock absorbing action for cushioning the foot during walking. A similar shock absorbing action may be obtained by the use of a rubber sleeve 10 encircling the screw socket 1, as shown in Figure 21. Suchsockets may be like any of those previouslyvdescribed, having either a closed end or a through bore, and may be for reception `of a screw or a snap head type spacer member. With this construction the aperture in the base plate 'l I, in which the socket is mounted, is not countersunk, but is of constant diameter throughout its depth, which diameter is at least as great las the diameter of the socket flange. The rubber sleeve may either reslllently grip 'the socket shank or be bonded to it,- and its periphery will be glued or otherwise secured to theV base plate 1l. As pressure is applied to; the headof the spacer member received in socket 1, therefore, the resilient collar 10 will be compressed somewhat by the socket flange, thus allowingh the screw head to yield somewhat with relation to the base plate, resulting in the cushioning action.

Because it will be desirable ordinarily not to have spacer members in all the base plate sockets, where the spacer members project downward it is desirable to cover the lower surface of the base ,plate with cloth 8, such as felt, as shown in Figure 20. This may be of a thickness equal to that of the socket flanges so that they n eed not be countersunk into the base plate proper. Where the spacer members project upward, the entire under surface of the base plate may be cloth covered. The purpose of such cov- 'ering is to prevent squeaking which otherwise might-result from the rubbing of the lower surface of the base plate on the upper surface of the shoe sole if both are of leather.v If all relative movement between such two surfaces is prevented, or the materials used will not squeak, such covering need not be used.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, and a plurality of unyielding spacer studs projecting from said base plate in sufficient number and sufficiently closely spaced to dene cooperatively and with said base plate a substantially incompressible foundation of varying thickness in different portions for engagment of one side thereof with the upper surface of the shoe sole, the other side thereof defining a warped surface conforming to the shape of a wearers sole.

2. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base vplate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, a cover sheet of flexible material and of uniform thickness, unyielding Vmeans interposed between said base plate and said cover sheet vof non-uniform effective height, for varying the thickness of different portions of the substantially incompressible composite foundation dened by said base plate and said cover sheet.

3. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising 'a base plate at least the entire Inetatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, a multitude of spacer stud sockets inserted in distributed arrangement into said base plate, and spacer studs received in said sockets, individual spacer studs projecting from their sockets different distances beyond the surface of said base plate, for increasing locally the effective thickness of various portions of said foundation.

4. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a leather base plate, a multiude of spacer member sockets inserted into said base plate in distributed arrangement over a substantial area, each socket being iianged and countersunk in said base plate and being of a length substantially equal toth'e thickness of the base plate at the location of insertion, spacer members received in said socket members and projecting various distances from one surface of said base plate, a thin conform'- able metal sheet overlying said spacer members and conforming to the warped surface defined by the projecting ends thereof, means securing said metal sheet to said base plate, and a thin leather sheet overlying said metal sheet and secured thereto.

5. A footl foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate having therein a plurality of spacer stud sockets distributed over it and opening downwardly, and a plurality of individual spacci' studs seated in said sockets, and projecting different distances downwardly below the lower surface of said base plate for engagement with the upper side of the shoe sole, said base plate being suciently flexible to conform to the contour of the wearers sole as determined by the different relative projections of the individual spacer studs below said base plate.

6. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a flexible base plate, a plurality of spacer stud sockets having one end closed, inserted in spaced locations through said base plate with their closed ends substantially flush with the upper surface of said base plate to make such surface continuous, and a plurality of spacer studs received in the open ends of said sockets, and projecting downwardly below the lower surface of said base plate for engagement with the upper side of a shoe sole, to define a foot foundation varying in effective thickness for shaping the upper surface of such base plate to the contour of the wearers sole.

7. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a highly flexible base plate, a plurality of spacer stud sockets having one end closed and the other end flanged, inserted in spaced locations through said base plate with their closed ends upward and substantially flush with the upper surface of said base plate to make such surface continuous and with their flanged ends downward and bearing against the base plate, and a plurality of spacer studs received in the open ends of said sockets, and projecting downwardly below the lower surface of said base plate for engagementl with the upper side of a shoe sole, to define a foot foundation varying in effective thicknessfor shaping the upper surface of said base plate to the contour of the wearers sole.

8. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed 'of inherentlyflexible material', aplurality of sockets inserted in 'said base plate and distributed -`over its areasubstantially from the rear of the heel portion to thevmetatarsal portion'thereof, andseparate spacer studs each received in one 'of said sockets, projecting various distances therefrom, and unnterconnected other than through said sockets and base plate, to define a warped surface conforming to the sole of a Wearers foot.

9. The foot foundation of claim 8, and projections secured to the shoe insole and shaped for engagement with complemental recesses in the base plate to restrain the later from bodily movement relative to the shoeinsole.l l i 10; A foot foundation for a shoe, `comprising-a base plate of flexible material'overlying the heel and arch portions of the v`vshoeV insole, a fired 'member overlying the toeportion of the shoe insole, the back end of such toe member and the front end of said baseplate rbeing formedcomplementally for insertion of the front end of said base plate beneath the back end of said4 toe member, thereby to hold 'downthe frontend of said base plate, a pluralityof sockets ins'ertgedin `said base plate, and spacermembers Vreceived 'in said sockets and projecting therefrom different distances thereby to shapethe foot foundation t0 the sole of a wearers foot.'

1l. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a flexible base plate, a plurality of sockets inserted in said base plate about the margin of the heel portion thereof, the central part of said heel p0rtion being free from sockets, and spacer members inserted in said sockets for projection therefrom different distances to cup the heel portion of the foot foundation different degrees to correspond to the shape of a wearers heel.

12. A fooi-l foundation comprising a base plate, a plurality of sockets arranged about the margin of the heel portion offsaid base plate and opening downwardly, and spacer members received in said sockets for raising the margin of the heel portion of said base plate, the central part of said heel portion being free from sockets and being slit on its lower surface to increase the flexibility downward, for depression of the central part of the heel portion as the margin is raised by said spacer members.

13. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material and having a plurality of sockets therein, and a plurality of separate spacer studs of different effective lengths, each having engagement with only one of said sockets, projecting from the surface of said base plate to increase the effective thickness of the foundation in varying degrees, and uninterconnected other than through said socketsl and base plate, said base plate being adapted to iiex'with the shoein walking.

14. In a foot foundation, a base plate, an annulus of resilient material inserted in an aperture in said base plate, and a spacer member socket mounted in said annulus in yielding relationship to said base plate. Y

15. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, and a plurality of separate spacer members individually adjustable in effective length projecting from the surface of said base plate in sufiicient number and s-uiciently closely spaced to define cooperatively and with said base plate a foundation of variable thickness in different portions for engagement of one side thereof with the upper surface of the shoe sole, the other side thereof defining a warped surface conforming to the shape of a wearers sole, said base plate being adapted to flex with the shoe in walking.

16. A foot foundation for a shoe comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, and a plurality of spacer screws threaded into said base plate in suicient number and suiciently closely spaced to define cooperatively and with said base plate a substantially incompressible foundation for engagement of one side thereof with the upper surface of the shoe sole, said screws being individually adjustable to change the spacing of their several projecting ends from said base plate independently for varying the thickness of different portions of said foundation, and for altering the warped contour of the side of the foot foundation opposite that engaged with the vshoe sole to conform to the shape of a wearers sole, said base plate being adapted to flex with the shoe in walking.

17. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, and a plurality of rigid spacer studs projecting downward from the under surface of said base plate, and forming feet therefor engageable with the upper side of the shoe sole, for raising those portions of said base plate from which the spacer studs project to warp its upper surface conform able to a wearers sole.

18. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently flexible material, and a plurality of spaced studs each having its upper end inserted into said base plate and its lower end resting upon the upper side of the shoe sole, and forming feet for raising the portions of the base plate into which the upper ends of said spacer studs are inserted to warp its upper surface conformable to a wearers sole.

19. A foot foundation for a shoe, comprising a base plate at least the entire metatarsal area of which is composed of inherently exible material, a multiplicity of rigid spacer studs of different effective lengths, each having its upper end inserted into said base plate and its lower end resting upon the upper side of the shoe sole, and forming feet of different lengths for raising in varying degrees the portions of said base plate into which the upper ends of the spacer studs are inserted, to warp the upper surface of said base plate conformable to a wearers sole, said base plate being adapted to flex with the shoe in Walking.

MAURICE K. ANDERSON. 

